Mercy
by girleater
Summary: -AU- -Modern-day- Ella, publisher of a famous fashion mag, falls hard for Hattie, her new assistant and stepsister. -femslash- -Hattie/Ella-


_I do not own Ella Enchanted. It belongs to Gail Carson Levine._

_Mercy _

_Chapter one: shake up my world _

I disliked Mondays. And really, who could blame me? No, I did not have to be at a hospital at five a.m. to cut open someone's head, nor did I have to be at court to defend someone on death row. No, I simply had to sit behind a desk all day; "yes-and-no-ing" sketches of possible dresses or whatever. It probably doesn't seem at all important to anyone with a serious, crucial job that benefited the community at large, but it was still a _job_, and I still had to be at my office, ten o'clock sharp, Monday through Friday.

Like I said, I hated Mondays.

Traffic was horrendous, which made it nearly impossible to stop at my favorite coffee shop to get a cappuccino before work. It wasn't like I would have a rubbish day if I _didn't _get my coffee; it was simply a luxury that I liked to have. And if the traffic kept up like it was, I was going to be deprived of said luxury.

A colorful line of cars was stretched out before me, and even though the light was _green_, no one was _moving_. _No. One. Was. Moving. _This was one of my many pet peeves; it was ridiculous, really, but--_oh! Movement! _

Traffic finally went forward, and I was permitted to parallel-park in front of my favorite coffee shop; _Faerie's Pick-Me-Up_. I didn't bother even attempting to decipher the silly name, I just went with it. After all, cheap caffeine was nothing to shake a stick at. Not on a Monday, anyway.

I noticed, as I slid out of my car, a very…_expensive _looking vehicle parked in front of me. It was flashy; some foreign manufacturer; the owner probably had to have it imported. I suppose what _really _caught my eye was the establishment that it was parked in front of. My favorite little cheap café; it seemed like an oxymoron for a car so luxurious and expensive to be parked in front of it. Regardless of the reason, I shrugged, and walked inside, reveling in the warmth of the café. The air was heavy with the scent of coffee beans, chocolate, and vanilla. I inhaled deeply, feeling awake.

"Morning, Ella," as per usual, Arieda was standing behind the counter, holding my usual cup of coffee in her hand; a hazelnut cappuccino.

"Morning, Arieda, how are things?" She narrowed her eyes playfully at me, and I took my coffee.

"_Boring_. Of all the cafés in New York, I had to pick _this one_."

"Well, I would prefer your job over mine. At least you'll be able to quit in a few months."

"_Right_. I've only been working here for three months, Ella, medical school is expensive. Plus I have to pay rent. Oh, just take your coffee and get a muffin, Miss Fashion." She smiled at me playfully, and I took my coffee and was off.

Muffin, muffin, muffin. Freshly baked muffins, at that. I chose banana nut, like I did every morning, and was prepared to walk over to my usual table when a very annoying, _very _nasally voice sounded my ear--

"Hazelnut coffee and a banana nut muffin? Ew."

I whipped around, and was face-to-face with the most pompous-looking woman I had ever seen. She was blonde--_honey _blonde, with ice-blue eyes. She was tall, and lean, and clad in the most expensive-looking pencil skirt suit…

"Excuse me? It is not '_ew_'. What are _you _getting?" She sneered at me; her face was oval shaped and she was _very _pale.

She held up her coffee and reached around me for a muffin. "Mocha coffee and a blueberry muffin," she was much too close to me.

"Right…" I wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible, but she stayed close to me, positioned awkwardly in front of me. She was looking me over like I was a race horse she was considering betting on.

"I'm going to walk away now," I said, and to my pleasure, she looked embarrassed. I walked towards my usual table; a booth by the window.

"You're _really _going to sit there?"

Are you serious?

She had followed me, and was standing in front of me again, perfectly arched eyebrows raised.

"I _always _sit here."

"Of _course _you do…" she rolled her eyes, and set her food down on my table, and slid into the booth, sitting beside me.

Oh. My. God.

"Excuse me, seriously, do you _mind_?"

"No, not at all."

"Who are you?" I asked, unwrapping my muffin. I was going to need an oral fixation to tolerate a conversation with this woman.

"My name is Hattie." Rare name…bad, but rare.

"And who are you?" She asked me, taking a drink of her coffee.

"My name is Ella--"

"Ella _Frell_, by chance?" I did _not _like her inflection when she said my full name.

"Yes, that's me."

"The owner of New York's most popular fashion magazine? _Pixie Fashion_?" Her lips curled around the name; I admit it, it's not the _best _name, but really, people only read it for the sex tips, anyway.

"Why do you care?" I snapped, my patience dwindling quickly. I took a bite of my muffin, and a sip of my coffee, and relished in _Hattie's _disgusted expression.

"Well, it's not everyday that you meet someone like you in…a place like this." Really? That's like the pot calling the kettle black.

"_You're _here. Do you, by chance, own that terribly flashy car outside?"

She smirked at me, and pulled a set of keys out of her blazer pocket. "Yes, I do."

"I thought so." She shrugged in response, and stared at me while she bit into her muffin.

"I suppose you own that _terribly _shabby car that's parked next to mine? Dear, it's not going to make it look any better by comparison." It took every ounce of my self-control to keep me from bitch-slapping her.

"I have to go," I needed away from her, or else I would be charged with aggravated assault. She stood up, and let me out.

"See you soon, Ella." _'See you soon, Ella' my ass_!

"Bye, Ella!" Arieda called after me, a smile tugging at the corners of her always-pleased-looking lips.

This was _not _how I wanted to start my morning. I didn't want to run into _Hattie _ever again. It took all of my better judgment not to run into her car as I was leaving.


End file.
